SHREM'S FUTURE ANTHEMS: "PLUIE FINE" - Corine + Polo & Pan Remix

Corine's disco EP "Fille De Ta Région" swept me off my feet last December when I thought nothing else could possibly surprise me at that stage in 2016. It was a tongue-in-cheek medley of nu disco produced in a truly French style with a generous dose of kitsch. Aside from the instantly anthemic "Pourquoi Pourquoi" it was the luxurious "Pluie Fine" which stole the show for me on this hedonistic 4-tracker released by Kwaidan Records.

Yesterday saw the release of Corine's Remix EP including extended version of "Pourquoi Pourquoi" alongside fresh mixes from Lazare Hoche, Plaisir De France, Pacific State and Polo & Pan who turned "Pluie Fine" into a coquettish house gem ready for your European club escapades. I have literally had it on repeat since Thursday night and simply cannot wait to play it during one of my next sets. Délicieux!

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SHREM'S DOUBLE TROUBLE: "Ici & Maintenant (Here & Now)" - Yelle /// "Pipe Dreams" - Nelly Furtado

I have two fantastic synth pop singles for the last day of 2016 courtesy of Yelle and Nelly Furtado. Happy New Year everyone, may 2017 bring us as many musical treats!

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SHREM'S DOUBLE TROUBLE: "LOVE INVADERS (Breakbot Remix)" - Fatima Yamaha /// "ONE IN A MILLION (Com Truise Remix)" - Midnight To Monaco

For today I've selected two tracks which have already appeared on my blog earlier on this year. Both of them however return with an added boost of energy in the shape of some of this year's most memorable remix treatments.

Fatima Yamaha is the enigmatic artist behind the 2004 lost underground gem "What's A Girl To Do", which became a complete club sensation in the electronic circles last year. Encouraged by the unparalleled success of the blogosphere's most cherished dance record of 2015, the Dutch producer dropped his brand new album "Imaginary Lines" via Magnetron Music last November. "Love Invaders" was an immediate favourite, pretty much guaranteed to become a single sooner than later. The track was remixed by Redinho, Africans with Mainframes and the French Touch maestro Breakbot. It's the Ed Banger Dj that turns this already gorgeously funky number into a summery French House lushness.

Midnight To Monaco are a Los Angeles based "nu-wop" (as they self-define their sound) duo. Their epic synth-pop moment and only 2nd single to date "One In A Million" was quite recently revamped into an erratic electro odyssey courtesy of Com Truise. Right next to Lone's 90's infused remix of Kenton Slash Demon's "Peace" among the strongest contenders for 2016 Remix of the Year so far.

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CHOON OF THE DAY: "VANILLE FRAISE" - L'Impératrice ♕

This hilarious video was initially out in January but its indisputable summery aura (both visually and sonically) is so much more suitable for this time of the year. L'Impératrice's "Vanille Fraise" is an enticing medley of classic French Touch, disco pop and late 90's chill-out grooves. You can download the track for free HERE.

Here's L'Impératrice's most recent EP "ODYSSÉE" in its full glory. Lush.

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SHREM'S DOUBLE TROUBLE: "LA FEMME À LA PEAU BLEUE (CHEZ TOI) - Vendredi sur Mer /// "ACCROCHÉ À MOI" - Golden Bug feat. Julienne Dessagne

I seldom rave about compilations but the recently released "VOID: Neo Disco" is a truly eclectic mine of electronic treasures, dancefloor oddities and underground gems. Thanks to this one superbly curated selection of songs I was able to discover Swiss electro pop chanteuse from Geneva Vendredi sur Mer and Paris based enigmatic producer Antoine Harispuru aka Golden Bug. The new artists join well known dance & electronica figures here, the likes of Hypnolove, Alex Gopher, Cosmo Vitelli or Jupiter, to name just a few.

Vendredi sur Mer's spoken "La femme à la peau bleue (Chez toi)" is an 80's flavoured slice of erotic synth pop which drifts somewhere seductively between Vanessa Daou's aural poetry, French chansons from the era and some of the latest productions in the avalanche of oldskool POP revival with the likes of Exotica, Cinema or Cléa Vincent. Deliciously kitschy and cleverly arranged. On repeat!

Golden Bug teams up with Julienne Dessagne from Saschienne for a syncopated escapade into moody electronic pop territories. "Accroché à moi" reminded me of Y.A.S. - Mirwais' project with Soapkills' Yasmine Hamdan, a little bit. It's dark, haunting and richly produced. This one does not go away that easily, I am properly hooked by this ethereal beauty.

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SHREM'S FUTURE ANTHEMS: "ACTION" - Cassius feat. Cat Power & Mike D.

Philippe Zdar and Boom Bass, better known as Cassius, bring out the big disco and funk guns for this highly anticipated come-back single "Action" which already sounds like one of their most accomplished singles to date. The pioneers of the French Touch movement invited Cat Power and Mike D. from the Beastie Boys to collaborate on this energetic hodgepodge of styles. It's 10 years since Cassius' last studio album "15 Again".

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CHOONS OF THE DAY: "LOVE" + "VAPEURS D'ÉQUATEUR" - Syracuse

Watch out as we approach another intriguing male/female duo from Paris. 2013 belonged to Calypso Valois and Alexandre Chatelard aka Cinema, my last year's "Best Of" list was dominated by Julien Galner and Clara Cometti vel Exotica so it's about time I discover another French dream team - Syracuse. Antoine Kogut and Isabelle Maitre offer a 6-track mini-album balancing between different shades of disco and fitting somewhere flamboyantly between Cosmetics, Glass Candy and The Miracles Club. I found myself immediately drawn to two tracks in particular, the half-whispered, half-recited cosmic disco lushness "Vapeurs d'Équateur" and the stimulating space electro ballad "Love". "Liquid Silver Dream" is out now via Antinote.







Here's Evelyn "Champagne" King's 1981 club hit "I'm In Love" which Syracuse's "Love" is loosely based on, as pointed out by Pitchfork:

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CHOONS OF THE DAY: "MUY BIEN" + "EURO KISS (OUTRO)" - Popular Computer

I have been very fond of Sylvain Dalido, better known as Popular Computer, ever since I came across his infectious "Darling" for the first time back in 2009, a track which to this day remains one of the most listened to songs in my music library. Popular Computer blew me away again with "Lointain" which I have chosen as one of the best tracks in 2011. I was very lucky and privileged then to have this French electronic producer guest appearing on my blog back in 2013 when he exclusively selected this inspiring and eclectic "Perfect Party Playlist". 2015 sees Monsieur Dalido returning with his third LP, the aptly titled "Euro Kiss" which circulates around diverse sounds, genres, styles, instruments and even languages. It's a sonic melting-pot, a colourful amalgamation of electro, Italo and nu disco, 80s rare grooves, modern funk, French house, Japanese Shibuya-kei, tropical vibes and a whole array of retro synthesisers. It's electronica at its most cosmopolitan. "Muy Bien" and the title track serve as great appetisers before you indulge yourselves in this immensely enjoyable album. "Euro Kiss" is out now worldwide, highly recommended!

And here are Popular Computer's previous classics once again:

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SHREM'S DOUBLE TROUBLE: "ON & ON" - Crayon & Jordan Lee /// "LA JEUNESSE RETROUVÉE" - Kartell

The Parisian label Roche Musique have just released their very first compilation ".WAVE" packed with exclusive new material and some of the label's underground lost classics from the past. They are promising "a sophisticated blend of house, nu-soul, at the borders of Hip Hop and funk, with French Touch as a background". I have chosen these 2 wondrous tracks for your pleasure - "On & On" the soulful joint effort of Crayon & Jordan Lee and one of Kartell's early tunes "La Jeunesse Retrouvée" sampling Maxwell's smooth R&B classic "Urban Theme".





You can stream the entire ".WAVE" below:

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SHREM'S DOUBLE TROUBLE: "De la Vitesse à l'Ivresse" /// "Il n'y a pas d'Amour Heureux" - POOM

There are numerous genres, styles and musical niches I am particularly fond of. I do have a special love for classic Egyptian music for example, Italo disco, balkan beats, post punk, late 80's house, 90's R&B, rare grooves, mambo, cumbia, nu disco, freestyle, Scandinavian synth-pop, electronica, oldskool Hip Hop, Central Asian pop... The list is very long and eclectic. I also adore Chanson Française in its full and rich tradition but when contemporary musicians borrow from the classic French Pop it tickles my fancy enormously. I have fallen in love with Cinema and Exotica in the past few years and have recently properly discovered another Parisian duo POOM. The sensual "De la Vitesse à l'Ivresse" is a string laden, rich composition paying a lush vintage hommage to the greatest French songs of the decadent 60's and 70's. Camille Ferrera et Siegfried de Turckheim fit in splendidly somewhere between the classic Françoise Hardy and Air's dreamy first two albums. The upbeat "Il n'y a pas d'Amour Heureux" is a glorious electro pop rendition of Louis Aragon's poem which became Georges Brassens' hit all the way back in 1953. Formidable!

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CHOON OF THE DAY: "ATTRACTED" - Kartell

It's about time our favourite Parisian house treasure Kartell spoiled us with another solid portion of his reliably soothing positive vibes. "Tender Games" EP has just dropped via Roche Musique and "Attracted" seems like an instant winner among the 6 new compositions. First half of the release oscillate between slower, more chilled out, soulful grooves while the second chapter is all about those hedonistic, sublime, dancefloor-friendly moments.

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SHREM'S DOUBLE TROUBLE: "À BOUCHE QUE VEUX-TU (Yuksek Remix)" - Brigitte /// "SLOWLY" - Siroj feat. Ayden

We have two ultimate summer anthems on the horizon guys! First up Parisian duo Brigitte and their latest single "À Bouche Que Veux-Tu" remixed, revamped and pimped up by the indestructible Yuksek himself. This is summer scented shiny disco music, a new saturday night essential and the latest in the catalogue of French Touch anthems.

The second track comes from a Dutch producer Siroj who made me forget about that disappointingly mediocre new Disclosure single from last week almost instantly. "Slowly" is anything but and it's a UK garage banger of epic proportions that you won't get rid off that easily. Highly addictive and irresistibly catchy!

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SHREM'S FUTURE ANTHEMS: "THE LAVA (Jolie Chérie Remix)" - Equateur

It hasn't even been 2 weeks since my favourite Parisian synth-pop trio Jolie Chérie premiered their delicious new single "Où Tu Veux" and they're already serving us another electro anthem in the making. Their rendition of Equateur's "The Lava" is a classic French Touch recipe with a Balearic twist and irresistibly summery vibe. Right next to Vii's "Ton Goût Des Garçons", Kavinsky's "Nightcall" and Black Strobe's "Me And Madonna" among Jolie Chérie's most enjoyable remixes to date. A dancefloor winner, big time!



And here are the other remixes I mentioned above. Let's party!

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SHREM'S FUTURE ANTHEMS: "OÙ TU VEUX" - Jolie Chérie

How did I survive a whole long year without at least one single by favourite French act Jolie Chérie remains a mystery... The last time we heard from the Parisian electro pop trio was December 2012 when the band was kind enough to premiere their "One, Two, Three" single here on my Carousel. Now Jolie Chérie are back with "Où Tu Veux" a surprising collaboration featuring Valli, a French singer popular back in the 1980's with her band Chagrin D'Amour. The single is what Jolie Chérie does best, a delicious crossover between perfect pop moment and oldskool flavoured club anthem with a pinch of mandatory "French Touch". "Où Tu Veux" is accompanied by a delectably old-fashioned and stylish black & white video directed by Jean Paul Routier. Voilà!



Plaisir De France serves the first official remix of the song, taken from his Remix collection "État des Lieux":

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SHREM'S DOUBLE TROUBLE: "Sous l'Orage" /// "À Qoui Bon" - Poom

Somewhere between the musical planets of Air, Cinema, Sébastien Tellier and Françoise Hardy lies a new one in the galaxy of French chanson... La Planète de la POOM. This dreamy Parisian duo creates soundscapes beyond decades, floating between vintage pop from 1960's to 1980's and current electro and synth pop trends. This musique couldn't have been made anywhere else in the world. It's atmospheric, it's chic, it's glamorously kitsch and it's truly hypnotising. J'adorrrrrrre...

P.S. Check out their super-fun TUMBLR here!

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SHREM'S BIGGIES BUT GOODIES BASKET: "Complètement fou" - Yelle

I won't lie. I didn't love Yelle's "Complètement fou" at first listen but now with this hyper-energetic, flamboyant, vogueing extravaganza of a video I am completely sold. The video was directed by MILORD AND L'ÉTIQUETTE and the album comes out 30th September. Complètement formidable!

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SHREM'S BIGGIES BUT GOODIES BASKET: "BOUQUET FINAL" - Yelle

Yelle is back. Back with a phenomenal new single "Bouquet Final" announcing the release of their long anticipated new album coming up this autumn! Similarly to Yelle's 2013 hit "L'Amour Parfait" the song introduces a slightly different, darker, more sophisticated music direction for the Parisian synth-pop champions. In awe!

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SHREM'S DOUBLE TROUBLE: "ESPOIR" - Darius /// "AVRIL" - Burning Peacocks

I've got two summery grooves for you today. Both of them come from the latest in the extraordinary series of Colette compilations, always reliable for discovering fresh dance & electronica talents before anyone else does. This one's called "Bonjour Colette" and it's a collaborative initiative aiming to present a selection of tracks by emerging French and Japanese artists signed to either Colette or Bonjour Records respectively.

Darius' "Espoir" is a hedonistic, festival-ready house moment of pure euphoria and Balearic vibes that will make you want to put those hands up in the air instantly.

Burning Peacocks are a Parisian duo inspired by Air, Portishead and Beach House whose sound fits somewhere between the luscious recordings of their compatriots the likes of Sébastien Tellier, Exotica, The Pirouettes or our favourite Cinema. 2 idyllic song beauties all ready for your BBQ's in the sun. Check out also the mini-mix below for a taste of the rest of the compilation.

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CHOON OF THE DAY: "L'ADULTE" - Sébastien Tellier

Monsieur Tellier just always delivers doesn't he? He also is one of the most prolific artists out there. Not even a year passed since his previous effort the majorly instrumental "Confection" and he's already about to drop his brand new LP "L'Aventura" which is coming out worldwide on 14th July. Sébastien Tellier's French, Belgian and Swiss fanbase will be able to enjoy it on 26th May already. The first taste of the new material is "L'Adulte", another multi-layered, beautifully crafted mini symphony, a signature Tellier sound. Et voilà! Here he is, Serge Gainsbourg of the modern era and his latest gem:

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CHOON OF THE DAY: "ALL MINE" - Exotica

Exotica is Julien Galner and Clara Cometti from Paris. They make that sweet oldskool flavoured synth-pop with a French twist. Their superb debut album "La Vierge et le Lion" is out now and it is packed with ultimate gems and wondrous melodies, some of the biggest song treasures I heard so far in 2014 in fact. It's seductively kitschy, glamorous, vivid and fun! "All Mine" immediately steals the show when hearing the record for the first time. Enjoy it below accompanied by a hilarious VHS fan-made video. Absolutely Fabulous!

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